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New Zealand Work and Travel Gap Year


Image of the city of Queenstown in New Zealand with mountains in the background - KILROY

Suggested Itinerary: New Zealand Work and Travel Gap Year

Home - Singapore - Auckland - Queenstown

This itinerary is just a suggestion and can be customised to suit your unique travel plans. Make it longer, make it shorter. Add in the things you want to do. Get in touch with our travel experts to turn this itinerary into your dream gap year in New Zealand.

Singapore 3 night stopover

The flight from the UK to New Zealand is a long one! Over 25hrs to be precise. That's why we recommend breaking up the journey along the way. And Singapore is the perfect place to make that stop. Spend three nights here to enjoy some independent sightseeing. You could visit Marina Bay Sands to take in the views from the SkyPark Observation Deck before wandering the futuristic Gardens by the Bay with dinner in the vibrant Chinatown. Next you could spend a day at Sentosa Island where you can relax on the beaches or visit Universal Studios for some thrilling rides. For more delicious food, head to Little India. After enjoying the sights for a few days, jump back on the plane for the final leg of your journey to New Zealand and the start o...

Auckland Explore the city

Welcome to New Zealand! Enjoy 4 days in Auckland to relax after your second flight and explore the city independently. Your accommodation is included and you're free to choose your local activities and sightseeing. We recommend starting with a free walking tour to get acquainted with Auckland's history and culture. Many tours start from Aotea Square. Later you can visit Sky Tower for stunning 360-degree views of the city. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try the SkyWalk or SkyJump. Next, take a ferry to Waiheke Island and explore the island's beautiful beaches, vineyards and art galleries. You can rent a bike or take a bus around the island. Take a picnic or have lunch at one of the wineries. With your final day in Auckland you ...

Auckland to Queenstown Independent Adventure

It's time to say goodbye to Auckland and start making use of your Buzzy Bee bus pass with Kiwi Experience. Kiwi Experience is simply the best way to explore New Zealand - it's flexible guided bus travel ensuring you see the best of what this incredible country has to offer, and have the most fun along the way. On board you'll travel with other like minded adventurers and make mates and memories to last a lifetime. This trip winds its way down the North Island, cruises down the West Coast of the South Island then finishes up in Queenstown. It's a one-way pass it can be done in a minimum 16 days in the summer, which is great if you want to see a lot but want to start your working holiday quickly. If you've got more time you can hop-on, h...

Queenstown Start your working holiday in New Zealand

After a few weeks travelling down the North and South Island, it's time to begin your new life in New Zealand. We've included the 1-year New Zealand working holiday visa and an arrival Work and Travel package in Queenstown to help you settle in and find a job. This 5-day package includes hostel accommodation and a job placement secured by our local in-house recruitment agency. Other perks include help setting up your bank account, a mobile phone SIM card, tax and healthcare setup. Queenstown is a great choice for a working holiday, especially if you're into snow sports and outdoor activities. But if you'd rather work in Auckland and enjoy the opportunities that a big city offers, check out our Work and Travel New Zealand Adventure or sp...

View the full itinerary as a list

Recommended duration

1 year

Start/End

Auckland/Queenstown

Travel type

Backpacking and Working Holiday

Included

One-way flights, bus and accommodation pass, working holiday visa and arrival package

Book this itinerary
Want to spend your gap year in New Zealand? This is the perfect work and travel combo with a flexible North and South Island adventure combined with an arrival job package to get you set up for your working holiday.

 

If you're a British passport holder aged 18-35, you can get yourself a New Zealand working holiday visa and spend up to three years living and working Down Under! This one-year gap year package is designed to help you get started. 

Enjoy a few nights in Singapore to break up the long journey between the UK and NZ, and tick another destination off your travel wish list at the same time. Your entry point into New Zealand is Auckland, located on the North Island. Spend a few days here at a popular hostel with time to explore the city at leisure. 

Then use your Kiwi Experience bus pass to experience the highlights of both islands, including the world-famous glowworm caves of Waitomo, the Shire of Hobbiton movie set and the bubbling mud pools of Rotorua. A ferry ticket is included to get you across to the South Island where you can visit the stunning Abel Tasman National Park, hike to the Franz Josef glacier and - if you're up for it! - book a bungee jump at Lake Wanaka. 

Allow at least 16 days for this adventure before arriving into Queenstown, where you'll be spending your working holiday. Enjoy a 5-day package to get you started in your new life with accommodation and help securing employment, opening bank accounts, obtaining tax numbers and finding your perfect new home.

*From price per person based on shared accommodation 

What's included
  • One-way economy class flight from the UK to Auckland
  • 3 night stopover in Singapore with hostel accommodation
  • 3 nights of hostel accommodation in Auckland
  • 16-day Buzzy Bee bus pass with Kiwi Experience between Auckland and Queenstown
  • Travel by ferry between the North and South Island
  • 5-day Work and Travel package in Queenstown
  • 4 nights of hostel accommodation in Queenstown
  • SIM card and job seminar
  • 1-Year Working Holiday Visa for New Zealand
  • Booking fees
  • Your own personal travel advisor
What's not included
  • Travel insurance (but we can help you with that)
  • Vaccinations (ask about our discount with Nomad Travel)
  • Meals
  • Accommodation between Auckland and Queenstown
  • Optional activities

What else you need to budget for this trip


This gap year itinerary includes everything you need to start a working holiday in New Zealand with the opportunity to travel independently at your own pace across the North and South island before finding work in Queenstown. 


We recommend an additional budget of £700 to cover this part of your work and travel trip, which should cover accommodation, meals and activities. This assumes you travel between two to three weeks with the included bus pass, stay in hostels and cook a lot of your own meals along the way. 


When it comes to budgeting for your New Zealand gap year, bear in mind that you'll need proof of around NZD $350 per month of stay in financial funds plus the cost of a return ticket to get your working holiday visa for New Zealand. 


Therefore, for this trip, we recommend a total additional budget of around £3,700 (assuming you're planning to live and work in New Zealand for one year). 


You'll have the chance to earn money in New Zealand and recoup some of the money spent travelling between the North and South Island, and you can rework this itinerary to bring the costs down if you're on a lower budget. 

Take Me Back To Top

Suggested Itinerary: New Zealand Work and Travel Gap Year

Home - Singapore - Auckland - Queenstown

This itinerary is just a suggestion and can be customised to suit your unique travel plans. Make it longer, make it shorter. Add in the things you want to do. Get in touch with our travel experts to turn this itinerary into your dream gap year in New Zealand.

Singapore 3 night stopover

The flight from the UK to New Zealand is a long one! Over 25hrs to be precise.

That's why we recommend breaking up the journey along the way. And Singapore is the perfect place to make that stop.

Spend three nights here to enjoy some independent sightseeing. You could visit Marina Bay Sands to take in the views from the SkyPark Observation Deck before wandering the futuristic Gardens by the Bay with dinner in the vibrant Chinatown.

Next you could spend a day at Sentosa Island where you can relax on the beaches or visit Universal Studios for some thrilling rides. For more delicious food, head to Little India. After enjoying the sights for a few days, jump back on the plane for the final leg of your journey to New Zealand and the start of your working holiday Down Under.

We've included a stopover in Singapore, but there are plenty of other cities to choose from. If you wanted to stick to Asia, you could opt instead for a few nights in Hong Kong, Malaysia or Bangkok. Alternatively, you could break up the journey with a stopover in Dubai or Qatar. Just let us know your preference and we'll do the rest.

Auckland Explore the city

Welcome to New Zealand! Enjoy 4 days in Auckland to relax after your second flight and explore the city independently. Your accommodation is included and you're free to choose your local activities and sightseeing.

We recommend starting with a free walking tour to get acquainted with Auckland's history and culture. Many tours start from Aotea Square. Later you can visit Sky Tower for stunning 360-degree views of the city. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try the SkyWalk or SkyJump.

Next, take a ferry to Waiheke Island and explore the island's beautiful beaches, vineyards and art galleries. You can rent a bike or take a bus around the island. Take a picnic or have lunch at one of the wineries.

With your final day in Auckland you could hike up Mount Eden for panoramic views of the city and visit the Auckland War Memorial Museum. In the evening, you could head to K Road (Karangahape Road), which is known for its vibrant nightlife, street art and eclectic mix of bars and cafes.

Auckland to Queenstown Independent Adventure

It's time to say goodbye to Auckland and start making use of your Buzzy Bee bus pass with Kiwi Experience.

Kiwi Experience is simply the best way to explore New Zealand - it's flexible guided bus travel ensuring you see the best of what this incredible country has to offer, and have the most fun along the way. On board you'll travel with other like minded adventurers and make mates and memories to last a lifetime.

This trip winds its way down the North Island, cruises down the West Coast of the South Island then finishes up in Queenstown. It's a one-way pass it can be done in a minimum 16 days in the summer, which is great if you want to see a lot but want to start your working holiday quickly.

If you've got more time you can hop-on, hop-off along the way and take as much time as you need to complete your trip. We think you should give yourself at least four weeks to make the most of the included stops on your bus pass, such as Waitomo, Rotorua, Lake Taupo, Wellington, Abel Tasman, Franz Josef and Lake Wanaka.

Queenstown Start your working holiday in New Zealand

After a few weeks travelling down the North and South Island, it's time to begin your new life in New Zealand.

We've included the 1-year New Zealand working holiday visa and an arrival Work and Travel package in Queenstown to help you settle in and find a job. This 5-day package includes hostel accommodation and a job placement secured by our local in-house recruitment agency. Other perks include help setting up your bank account, a mobile phone SIM card, tax and healthcare setup.

Queenstown is a great choice for a working holiday, especially if you're into snow sports and outdoor activities. But if you'd rather work in Auckland and enjoy the opportunities that a big city offers, check out our Work and Travel New Zealand Adventure or speak to your KILROY travel advisor to tweak this package to your liking.

Also, if you're a British passport holder, you can stay for a year on the standard visa, but there's also the opportunity to extend to up to three years in total, so who knows where this year away will take you?!

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